It’d be next to impossible that the Miami Heat weren’t embarrassed after how the team acquitted itself in the NBA Playoffs. Sure, Erik Spoelstra’s team deserves some level of kudos for pushing their way into the postseason after a Play-In Tournament run as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, getting dog-walked four times in a row by the Cleveland Cavaliers to get swept, and with the final straw being nearly a 60-point blowout loss, holding their heads up high really isn’t an option.

Of course, some of this was to be expected after the Jimmy Butler trade. While Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and others do represent a strong core for the Heat still, the roster as a whole is a bit in flux. What is their identity? Who is the star to lead them forward? That last question is the most interesting, especially considering that the answer might be someone not on the roster.

Pat Riley and the Heat have never been short on aggression when it comes to making moves, and it stands to reason that they’ll look to ostensibly replace Butler as the franchise’s star this offseason. So, even though the Heat don’t have many free agents of consequence (at least ones who will actually depart), such big moves in the trade market mean that some familiar faces in Miami could be playing elsewhere to start the 2025-26 season.

These three players in particular seem the most likely to end up on the move this offseason.

3. G/F Duncan Robinson

The Duncan Robinson contract continues to be baffling, which is ultimately indicative of who the wing is as a player. There are games when he’s simply unconscious from long range and able to take a night over. Other instances, he’s a net-negative to even have on the floor. That’s not a fun place to be in but, with a $19+ million player option for the 2025-26 season, he’s sure to take that and stay on the books for the Heat.

That doesn’t mean, however, that Miami has to keep him. For one, he’s one of the few players who could just be sent packing. There is a brief time period in early-mid July in which the Heat could cut Robinson and save $10 million. It’s also possible that he could be moved in a deal, perhaps a trade for a veteran role player wherein the Heat could eat $10 million of the contract and lessen the cap hit on their trade partner.

In either case, Robinson doesn’t feel like he’s long for Miami when looking into the future. His spark-plug nature has value in the league but, with the current state of the Heat roster, I’m not sure that value lies with the team that brought him into the league.